3 months later...

Wow, my goal to write daily or, more likely, once a month seemed to evaporate as it's been 3 months. Alas, lots has happened.

My wonderful dad--who I wrote about on this blog when we went to Greece last year--passed away unexpectedly in May. He had complications from heart surgery, and he passed away on the fifth anniversary of my mom's death. It's been difficult dealing with this loss. Earlier tonight, I had an urge to finally neatly put away some DVDs that had belong to my dad. In the process, I found a book I must have received when I was working at the Trib. It's called "Always Too Soon: Voices of Support for Those Who Have Lost Both Parents" by Allison Gilbert. It's a fantastic collection of essays by famous and non-famous people, and I was in tears by page 1.

The only bright spots during the grieving process are my daughters. Eena and Baba are always there, always happy, and they continue to give me strength.

Happy 4th Birthday to Eena!

I can't believe my baby is 4 today. We've been celebrating her birthday since Saturday with a party with friends, and yesterday, we had cupcakes with her cousins. Today, we are going to have more cupcakes:) Baba loves celebrating too, especially because Eena is so good with sharing.

Through all of this happiness, I think about the deep sadness her birth parents must feel during this time of year. I hope they somehow know that the baby born on 4-6-06 is a very happy, sweet, smart and beautiful 4 year old who is loved more than words can say.

Improv--ing parenting

I've been a mother for almost three years. It's crazy to think that three years ago, my husband and I were enjoying our final days of being child-free as we toured Beijing for several days before meeting our first beautiful daughter for the first time (and six months before meeting our second beautiful daughter.)

Before becoming a mom, I remember reading parenting books, magazines and even taking a "new parents" course. The books and magazine were kind of useful in calming my fears about what to expect. The course taught me how to change a diaper, clean a baby, what to feed her, etc. It wasn't until recently, though, that I discovered what helped better than any parenting book or course (or part-time nanny, which, by the way, helps immensely too if you have no family nearby).

The thing that every parent-to-be or frenzied parent should do is take an improv class or two or, in my case, a year and counting. Improv has taught me how to be patient, live in the moment, listen, tell more creative stories, be spontaneous, stop saying 'no' and much more. I just finished my year of beginning improv at the Second City Training Center, and now I'm taking improv classes at iO Chicago.

My daughters love being silly with me...now I just need them to let me practice my accents and characters...they only want me to sound like "Mommy."

Facebook status updates

One of my goals for 2010 is to copy my Facebook status updates as blog entries because I'd like to remember all of the sweet things my kids say/do.

Here's a sample of what they've said recently:

Merry Christmas! Santa's presents were a hit! Eena loved the $1 recorder and 98-cent chapstick the best; Baba loved her $1 baby doll and a Dora I bought a long time ago.

The girls were thrilled with xmas eve gift of gloves...

Apa, Eena and Baba are napping in the car. Wish I could...

Eena: "Baba, it's hard for me to talk while you're talking."

The art of coloring has finally calmed the energetic girls this morning.

Nothing helps the morning like frozen bananas

Eena: "When are we going to China? We should take Baba because she never got to see it." ... later on, Eena asked me the names of her birth parents. When I said I didn't know, she said: "I think she is named 'Bear' and he is named 'Strawberry.'"

Eena: "Daddy make eggs gooder than you."

The girls were all smiles when they met Santa for the first time this evening.

I love that Baba wore my U2 Vertigo concert T-shirt as a nightgown last night

Eena: "I've been waiting all year for Hanukkah!"

Baba: I like my Mommy so much.

Eena thinks she's on China time. She's been up pretty much since 2. Luckily, her sister fell back asleep at 5.

Eena and Baba are playing with their new (my old) dollhouse.

Eena and Baba are passed out in car in post-show nap. a on way to bday party

Eena: "We can take an airplane to visit your Mommy in Heaven."

I hope Baba feels better for her date with Brobee tomorrow morning.

The kids went to bed at a much earlier time with the babysitter. Maybe hubby and I should go out every night.

I need to go Christmas/Hanukkah shopping in her basement when the kids are sleeping

Today marks three years since I got "the referral call" from telling me that I had a beautiful daughter (Eena) in China who was driving a little red car.

Kids keep leaving their room and not going to bed. How can I get them to stay in there?

I'm impressed with how well Eena behaved while I was getting my haircut. On the down side, the hairdresser cut my hair too short...

Eena: "I want to visit Olivia. Throw me into the TV." ... Olivia the pig is a cartoon character.

Baba: "Cassie (the cat) can't go to the supermarket because she doesn't have shoes."

I think Eena feels better after her pukefest at 3 a.m.

I performed my first operation: With a tweezer, I carefully removed a small piece of Kleenex tissue that Baba stuffed up her nose

Eena ate pasta for lunch and dinner yesterday. Now, she's eating it for breakfast.

I'm grateful that Eena and Baba didn't ram their cart into anyone at Trader Joe's

If the girls had a TV show, they said it would be called: "The Hairball Cooking Show."

Much to hubby's dismay, I've busted out the Alvin & the Chipmunks' Christmas CD. The girls love it!

When I told Eena that she can't go commando. Her reply? "Mommy, I didn't know you speak Spanish!"

Baba may not have danced at the Pull-Ups audition, but, on the bright side, she's already smart enough not to dance topless in front of cameras

Future entrepreneur: Eena asked me for money to start a lemonade stand.

"Mommy, I've been looking all over for this," Eena said as she showed me a copy of her referral photo.

Baba: "I'm hungry. I want M&Ms." ... Hubby: "Here's some fruit instead."

Merry Christmas

Eena and Baba are having a wonderful Christmas. Their favorite things? A $1 plastic recorder instrument that Santa found at Toys R Us, and a $1 Baby Doll from Wal-mart. I love that parents don't have to spend a lot on children who are 2 and 3 to really make kids happy.

When they're teenagers, it'll be another story...

Baba's a big girl

After Baba's potty-training success, we've torn down the fourth wall (of the crib, that is) and turned it into a big-girl bed. Baba couldn't be happier. Eena is also happy to have a partner in crime to read books and build forts with (instead of sleeping).

A very merry half-birthday to you

On Oct. 6, Eena turned 3 1/2 so naturally we celebrated her half-birthday. Eena and Baba each had a half-cupcake.